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Explaining Grammatical "Mood" for the Laymen
First, a bit of background: "mood" in this sense is borrowed from *modus*, the Latin word used in certain ancient grammars. But then *modus* was also borrowed as "mode" via French, and now the two are ...
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3
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Is the idea of "simultaneity" in sign language as opposed to "linearity" in spoken language really tenable?
It seems to me that your argument about the simultaneity of articulatory gestures in speech is mostly irrelevant, because the hearer does not perceive these various gestures, but the (single) ...
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Is the idea of "simultaneity" in sign language as opposed to "linearity" in spoken language really tenable?
Simultaneity just means producing two or three signs simultaneously. It is common in British Sign Language, of which I have a very incomplete knowledge. All you have to do is pick two one-handed signs ...
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Why are "dynamic" and "deontic" modalities so called?
Permissive can is 'deontic' because its domain is that of obligation: it conveys a sense of unbinding or absence of obligation. You can stay as long as you want means that you are not 'bound' or '...
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Reference and modality - T. Givon (2001), Syntax
Givon does seem a little unclear here. I think he needs to allow for the traditional predicate nominal. In "She is a teacher", "is a teacher" means "teaches" -- it's a predicate, not a reference.
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Reference and modality - T. Givon (2001), Syntax
I think the most important part is this sentence:
One of the most sensitive cross-linguistic tests for modality involves the referential behavior of NPs under various modal scopes (see Ch. 10).
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What type of modality is "You must not fear"?
Modals -- and English modals in particular -- have several different varieties of sense.
Must has two senses:
the Deontic sense, which is social and deals with obligation and limitation of actions
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Accepted
What type of modality is "You must not fear"?
So the word I was looking for was the hortative modality. This is a set of modalities where the speaker strongly encourages or exhorts someone to do something. Specifically, I think it's either the ...
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Which language has the most types of irrealis moods?
In attempting to answer this question I think it's useful to distinguish between the terms 'mood' and 'modality':
'Modality' is the category of semantic notions relating to a speakers expression of ...
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